said.
And I sat down pretty quickly. Because even though I’d eaten a turkey sandwich, I still felt like I could use more nourishment.
“Bessica has been in her room working on homework,” my mom said.
My dad whistled. “Are they piling it on already?”
I nodded.
“I have permanent homework in English,” I said. “And it’s hard.”
My dad whistled again.
“It will get easier once you get a rhythm down,” my mom said.
I looked at her like she was crazy. That didn’t even make sense.
“Did you see Blake today?” my dad asked.
“I sure did,” I said. “He got stuffed into a trash can by my locker.”
My mom set down a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table and gasped. “That’s awful!”
I nodded. “But he got out okay.”
“Did you help him?” my mom asked.
“He didn’t want my help. He’s a loner. I think that’s part of why he got stuffed,” I said.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” my dad said. “That kid is sort of a dweeb.”
My mom frowned when my dad said that. “Buck, we shouldn’t judge socially awkward children.”
My dad spooned up some potatoes and said, “You’re right.”
“Do you want one or two scoops of peas?” my mom asked me.
“One,” I said, because if I had a choice, I wanted to take the smallest amount of peas possible.
My mom finished dishing everything out and she sat down. Then I realized that I was looking at a pork chop but I still smelled baking tuna fish.
“Why do I smell tuna?” I asked.
My mom smiled. “Because I’m making a casserole for one of the patients.”
This was something she did on a regular basis. My mom was not the kind of receptionist who could write down people’s information and file it away. She was the kind of person who wrote down their information and then baked things to make them feel better.
“I want more details, Bessica. What was the first thing you thought when I dropped you off today?”
I blinked. And ate some peas. And swallowed them. “I thought, I would be enjoying my day a lot more if Sylvie were here.”
My mother sighed. “Mrs. Potaski will come around. Give her time.”
I shook my head. “No. Grandma explained it to me. Sylvie’s mom is a bull chasing me through a field. And I have to wait until she gets bored and forgets about me. Or she’ll gore out my guts. It could take years.”
“Your grandma said that?” my dad asked.
I nodded.
“I’m sure those weren’t her exact words,” my mother said.
“It’s still a very interesting comparison to make with Mrs. Potaski. You know that bulls are male, right?” my dad asked me.
I threw my hands up and accidentally knocked over my glass of milk. “Of course I know that.”
My mother brought me a dishrag. “Here you go. And watch the wild arm moves.”
I cleaned up the milk while my mom and dad ate their pork chops and peas. I couldn’t believe that this conversation made them want to eat. I’d almost lost my entire appetite, because all I wanted to do was improve my life.
After I cleaned up the milk, I put the dishrag in the sink and I stared at my pork chop.
“So which is your favorite class?” my dad asked. “You’re taking geology, right?”
I shook my head. “Geography.”
“What did you talk about in geography?” he asked.
My mother took a shockingly big bite of her chop.
“Polar stuff,” I said.
“About bears?” he asked.
I shook my head again. “Bears are fun and interesting,” I said. “We’re not studying anything fun or interesting.”
“Well, I’ve got something you can tell your class,” my father said. “Ask them if they know why polar bears never eat penguins.”
“That’s a gross thing to ask a room of strangers,” I said.
“She’s right,” my mother said. “Don’t ask them that.”
“It’s because penguins and polar bears live at opposite ends of the earth. Polar bears live near the North Pole and penguins live near the South Pole.”
I did not find that very interesting.
And I sat down pretty quickly. Because even though I’d eaten a turkey sandwich, I still felt like I could use more nourishment.
“Bessica has been in her room working on homework,” my mom said.
My dad whistled. “Are they piling it on already?”
I nodded.
“I have permanent homework in English,” I said. “And it’s hard.”
My dad whistled again.
“It will get easier once you get a rhythm down,” my mom said.
I looked at her like she was crazy. That didn’t even make sense.
“Did you see Blake today?” my dad asked.
“I sure did,” I said. “He got stuffed into a trash can by my locker.”
My mom set down a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table and gasped. “That’s awful!”
I nodded. “But he got out okay.”
“Did you help him?” my mom asked.
“He didn’t want my help. He’s a loner. I think that’s part of why he got stuffed,” I said.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” my dad said. “That kid is sort of a dweeb.”
My mom frowned when my dad said that. “Buck, we shouldn’t judge socially awkward children.”
My dad spooned up some potatoes and said, “You’re right.”
“Do you want one or two scoops of peas?” my mom asked me.
“One,” I said, because if I had a choice, I wanted to take the smallest amount of peas possible.
My mom finished dishing everything out and she sat down. Then I realized that I was looking at a pork chop but I still smelled baking tuna fish.
“Why do I smell tuna?” I asked.
My mom smiled. “Because I’m making a casserole for one of the patients.”
This was something she did on a regular basis. My mom was not the kind of receptionist who could write down people’s information and file it away. She was the kind of person who wrote down their information and then baked things to make them feel better.
“I want more details, Bessica. What was the first thing you thought when I dropped you off today?”
I blinked. And ate some peas. And swallowed them. “I thought, I would be enjoying my day a lot more if Sylvie were here.”
My mother sighed. “Mrs. Potaski will come around. Give her time.”
I shook my head. “No. Grandma explained it to me. Sylvie’s mom is a bull chasing me through a field. And I have to wait until she gets bored and forgets about me. Or she’ll gore out my guts. It could take years.”
“Your grandma said that?” my dad asked.
I nodded.
“I’m sure those weren’t her exact words,” my mother said.
“It’s still a very interesting comparison to make with Mrs. Potaski. You know that bulls are male, right?” my dad asked me.
I threw my hands up and accidentally knocked over my glass of milk. “Of course I know that.”
My mother brought me a dishrag. “Here you go. And watch the wild arm moves.”
I cleaned up the milk while my mom and dad ate their pork chops and peas. I couldn’t believe that this conversation made them want to eat. I’d almost lost my entire appetite, because all I wanted to do was improve my life.
After I cleaned up the milk, I put the dishrag in the sink and I stared at my pork chop.
“So which is your favorite class?” my dad asked. “You’re taking geology, right?”
I shook my head. “Geography.”
“What did you talk about in geography?” he asked.
My mother took a shockingly big bite of her chop.
“Polar stuff,” I said.
“About bears?” he asked.
I shook my head again. “Bears are fun and interesting,” I said. “We’re not studying anything fun or interesting.”
“Well, I’ve got something you can tell your class,” my father said. “Ask them if they know why polar bears never eat penguins.”
“That’s a gross thing to ask a room of strangers,” I said.
“She’s right,” my mother said. “Don’t ask them that.”
“It’s because penguins and polar bears live at opposite ends of the earth. Polar bears live near the North Pole and penguins live near the South Pole.”
I did not find that very interesting.
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